There are numerous stats, polls, graphs, and studies to show that people don’t care anymore, but I don’t buy it. As a whole, we aren’t spreading the Word. Sure, I know that false Christianity and false hope is sold worldwide, but people
The
Commodity No One is Selling
There
are a lot of people interested in the truth.
Recently, I have witnessed many folks setting up Bible studies. According
to mass media, they shouldn’t be. So,
why are they? I believe that it is because the Word will always be appealing to
man. God sent this saving message for us, and it is our only hope of learning
how to be saved (2 Thess. 1:8). Don’t we all long for redemption? If we don’t
speak the truth, how will they know how to be saved? If we don’t spread the message, we are in
danger of losing our salvation as well. They want it. Why not give it to them? That
is what God did for us (John 1:17).
God
Commanded that We Spread the Word
We
must sow the seed because Christ commanded us to go out and spread the Word
(Matt.28:18-20). He told the apostles that if they followed Him, He would make
them fishers of men (Matt.1:17). If we follow Jesus, we will also (Acts 8:4). We
need to actively pursue studying with people every day. Yes, it will cut into
time watching college football and The
Walking Dead but we can record it. Even though what we want may seem
important, there is nothing more important than loving God, loving His people,
and sharing the message of saving grace, i.e. Christ. The message of God’s kindness
and favor only found in Christ (Lk.10:27; 1 John 5:2-3; Matt. 28:18-20). Let us
do our best to save the lost (Lk. 19:10). We need to give people the chance to
live a life freed from sin. If we want to walk as He walked, we will (1 John
2:6).
Forced
Me to Grow Up
When we are seeking to be teachers (Heb.
5:12) and evangelists (2 Tim. 2:2) we will grow. By sowing seed, we will continue to dive deeper
in the Word. When we get out and study
with the lost we can bet on the fact that we will be presented with thoughts,
ideas, questions, and curiosities that we will need to study out. We learn from
the parable of the sower that the one who hears the Word sows the seed (Matt.
13:18-23). We also learn that only one out of every four is going to receive
it. That’s means we need to study with four people to get one. We mustn’t get
discouraged by this and give up. We are commanded to “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matt. 28:19 NKJV).
Let us endure, persevere, and learn from our efforts (James 1:2-4; 2 Pet. 1:5-8).
Be a mature teacher, not stuck on spiritual milk (Heb. 5:12). As we reach out
and spread the Word, our knowledge and faith will mature.
FEAR
When we are afraid, false evidence appears
real. That is the sum of fear. That is what holds many of us back. “What ifs”
race through our minds as we get ready to spread the Word to someone. If it’s a
sale at the clothing store or 50% coupons at the market, we have no issue
proclaiming those saving deals. The greatest saving deal, the gospel, somehow
always gets caught in our throats. Why? FEAR. We assume some will
respond in a negative way. Yet, we have never even talked to them about
spiritual things. However, an even more heartbreaking
situation is occurring. We don’t know how to teach someone. There are a great
number of tools out there to teach us how to be evangelists. I never see a
reason in the Word for us to be afraid of anyone or anything other than God. We
are to be strong and courageous doing what God asks of us (Joshua 1:6-9). Then,
He will be with us (Matt. 28:20). He will give us the strength we need to do
His work (Phil. 4:13). If God is with us who can be against us (Romans 8:31).
It’s
Profitable for Teaching
We are to instruct them to obey all He asks
us to do. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says that the we all should teach, “them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the
end of the age.’ Amen.”
(NKJV). Teaching them to follow Christ starts with the fundamental truths of
who Jesus is and how to be saved. It is imperative that we sow seed in the
world. The Word is the seed (1 Pet. 1:22-25), it is incorruptible, and it abides
forever. Everything that pertains to godliness and life is in the Word (2 Pet.
1:2-4). “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Tim. 3:16-17 NKJV).
God has given His Word to all man to
learn from. Let’s get out there and teach it to all mankind as Christ
commanded! We need to give the whole world a chance to turn to God one soul at
time.
You
Will Die
We have the gospel so
that we may know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior so
that we may have eternal life (John 20:30-31; John 21:25; Luke 1:1-4). We need
to go about preaching the Word so that others can come to be saved (Rom. 10:17;
Mark. 16:15-16). By doing such, we will
mature into more knowledgeable teachers and cause others to grow. As we grow,
others will be encouraged to do so as well. If we don’t, we will die
spiritually. We will have some knowledge, no wisdom, and our faith will wean. If
we don’t teach, we will become stagnate because there is nothing pushing our need
to study or grow.
Simply
Put
When we stop spreading
the Word we stop growing. It limits our study and it limits the number of
people being immersed into Christ because of our lack of work. The body dies
because we don’t evangelize. We must love our neighbors enough to bring them
the saving message of grace i.e. Christ. The message of God’s kindness and
favor only found in Christ. Do we love them enough to get out there proclaim
the gospel, or is it just too much for us?
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